Clock



Jan. 10, 1950 H. G. STEIN 2,494 0M CLOCK Filed Dec. 10, l945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. HAROLD G. STEIN H. G. STERN Jam 10, 1950 CLOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1945 INVENTOR.

HAROLD G STEIN AT GRNEV.

Patented Jan. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOCK Harold o. Stein, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application December 10, 1945, Serial No. 633,930

-5Claims. 1

My invention relates to clocks, and more particularly to a type of clock that may be constructed of a few parts assembled without the use of tools.

The object of my invention is to provide a clock, constructed of simple parts, assembled into a compact kit with simple instructions and directions for the assembly of the parts into a clock without the use of tools or mechanical skill.

A further object of "my invention is to arrange the parts comprising the device in a manner that they may be, when assembled, actuated by means of a weight and adjusted in a manner to keep correct time.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a disassembled device that is educational in its arrangement, and assembling of the component parts thereof, the parts being simple in construction, economical in cost and easy to assemble by following simple directions.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the face plate and the actuating parts mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is an end view of the device, shown in Figure 1, illustrating the assembly of the various parts.

Figure 3 is a front view of the auxiliary plate t! forming a part of the assembly and showing the parts mounted between the auxiliary plate and the face plate.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the parts mounted on the rear of the auxiliary plate which is shown in phantom.

Figure 5 is a front view of the entire device with the various parts mounted onto the front face and with the parts behind the front face and auxiliary plate shown in phantom.

' Figure 6 is a front view of a modified governor bar provided with adjustment weights, and

Figure '7 is an end view of the governor bar and weights as shown in Figure 6.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character III shows a face plate which is supported outwardly from the auxiliary plate H by means of spacers l2 which engage the plates ill and ii, and the auxiliary plate H is supported by spacers t3 extending at right angle thereto when the assembled device is suspended from a vertical wall.

A drive shaft l4 provided with a drive wheel 15 'on the front of the face 10 extends rearwardly 2 through the auxiliary plate H and supports a driven wheel l6 behind the plate II. There is a belt I! in the form of a rubber band leading from the peripheral surface of the driven wheel it over a pinion 18, which is disposed in direct alignment with the wheel l6 and which is mounted on a shaft l9 extending through both the plates Hi and H and journaled therein. The shaft l9 supports an escapement wheel 20 at its forward end on the front face of the plate 10. This wheel 20 is a part of the governing mechanism for regulating the speed of the clock as a unit and has a plurality of outwardly extending pegs 2'] engaging its front face and extending outward at right angle therefrom. In direct vertical alignment with the shaft l9 and supported by a lower bearing 22 is a vertical shaft 23 guided .near its upper end b a bearing 24. The bearings 22 and 24 extend outward from the face 10 for a sufficient distance to place the vertical shaft 23 ahead of the pegs 2| on the wheel 20 and a pair of vanes 25 and 26, attached to the shaft 23 at a pre-determined angle, extend inwardly toward the face of the wheel 20. The extreme upper end of the vertical shaft 23 supports a governor bar 21 which acts as a pendulum or governor by reciprocating back and forth. It is fastened to the upper end of the vertical shaft 23 and its motion turns the shaft 23 enough to allow the pegs 2| to escape the vanes 25 and 2 6 one at a time, thereby arresting the revolving -o the wheel 20. I

In Figures 6 and '1, I illustrate a manner in which the governor bar 27 may be provided with a plurality of notches 28 on its upper face on each side of the shaft 23. The weights are shown in the form of annular washers 29 suspended from the notches 28. These Washers may be moved to Ward and away from the central mounting of the bar 21 on the shaft 23, thereby causing the reciprocating motion of the ,bar 21 to be slowed. up whenv the washers 2B are moved toward the ends of the bar :21 and sped up when the washers 25 are brought inwardly toward the center of the bar 21.

I show these washers as a means of control bu the peripheral edge thereof. This cord 33 extends in looped fashion over a drive wheel I and from it extends downward over the periphery of a pulley 34 and from it to an idler pulley which is journalled on a shaft 36 and extends outward from the face plate III.

The cord 33 is fastened at its other end to a pulley frame 31. The pulley assembly consisting of the pulley 34 and the frame 3'1 which supports it suspended on the cord 33 in the manner shown and are urged downward by means of a weight 38 which is disposed over the spacer on the frame 31 at 39 by means of a hook 40. This weight 38 ohviously may be a solid mass of metal or the like or may be constructed in the form of a cylindrical bucket, which may be filled with sand'or lead pellets, the weight of it acting as a means for driving the entire mechanism.

The shaft 30, which is journalled through both plates ID and II, supports a pinion 4I which in turn actuates a large wheel 42 mounted on a shaft 43, the actuation being accomplished by means of a. rubber band 44 acting as a belt. On this same shaft 43 is a pinion which is connected to a dial wheel 46 which is mounted to a shaft 41 by means of a rubber band 48. This dial wheel 48 mounted to the shaft 4? actuates and turns the indicator 49 on the face Iii of the clock, and acts as a hand or pointer to indicate the time on an annular dial which may be in the form of a sheet of paper adherently attached to the face plate ID or may be directly inscribed into or onto the face plate ID. The numerals on the dial 50 are spaced into .twelve hours and each hour period is divided into four periods.

In operation, the device is assembled and functions as follows:

The two plates l5) and I I are placed in parallel relation to one another and held in spaced relation by means of the spacers I2. The spacers I3 are next placed into the apertures provided in the auxiliary plate 9 I to keep the assembled device supported away from a vertical wall or the like from which it is suspended. The wheel 3I on the from contact with the periphery of the wheel I5. This will cause the entire weight 38 and pulley assembly 34 to be brought upward toward the face 'plate. When this weight is brought up to the top, the cord is looped over the wheel I5. weight is released, it will cause a downward pull- As the ing action which will cause the wheel I5 to revolve in'a clockwise direction taking the cord from the reel or reservoir 3 I, and due to the idler pulley 35 it will permit the entire weight assembly to move downward. As this cord 33 is pulled downward, it will cause the wheel I5 to move in a clockwise direction, thereby turning the shaft I4 and the large wheel I6 mounted to the shaft I 4 between the plates ill and I I. A belt I! in the form of a rubber band engages a wheel I8 mounted on a shaft I9 and this shaft I9 has the escapement wheel 20 mounted to its forward end and outside of the face plate Ill.

The lower bearing 22 and the upper bearing 24 guide a vertical shaft 23 which is in direct These vanes are in direct alignment with pegs shown as 2I. In the illustration, there are seven of these pegs extending outward from the face of the escapement wheel 20 and the angular relation of the vanes 25 and 26 will permit a peg 2I to pass and the rotation of the wheel will be arrested by the other of the vanes. Thus, due to the belt H, the wheels IS will cause the shaft I9 and the escapement wheel 20 to rotate and the rotation will be controlled by this escapement movement. The top of the shaft 23 is supplied with a governor bar 27 which is of a weight and size to coordinate its movement with the weight 38 at the bottom of the cord 33.

In Figures 6 and '7, I show a pair of washers suspended in notches on the bar 21. These washers, acting as weights, control the reciprocated action of the bar 21 allowing it to move faster when they are near the shaft 23 and slowing up the action when they are far apart on the bar 21 and away from the shaft 23. The speed that the escape wheel 29 will travel will determine the revolution of a large wheel 3! mounted on a shaft 30. This wheel 3|, as stated before, is the reel for the cord 33 and as the shaft 30 revolves, it will revolve a pinion 4| which in turn will revolve a large wheel 42 mounted on a shaft 43 due to its contact with the rubber band acting as a belt 44. The wheel 42 will turn the shaft 43, and a pinion 45, mounted on this shaft 43, will rotate the dial wheel 46 which is mounted on a shaft 4?, which shaft is journalled in both plates I 0 and II.

On the face of the face plate If] is a printed dial, shown as 50, spaced off, as described, into quarter hour periods and the shaft 4'! has at its forward end an indicator hand, shown as 49, which indicates the time by quarter hour periods. It will be manifest to anyone that is familiar With the art that the component parts constituting the device can be made of wood or of any other suitable material, that the wheels and pulleys can be grooved at their periphery or can be made of sections of plywood or laminations to provide the groove for rubber bands or cords. By using simple directions and instructions, these parts can be assembled by anyone without the use of tools. Obviously, all shafts and apertures adopting the shafts and acting as bearings are to be of the proper dimensions and the spacers I2 and I3 would have their ends engaging the plates If! and II by means of a press fit.

In the description of the device, I have shown and portrayed a single arrangement of the component parts constituting the device and show their methods of operation. I am fully cognizant of the fact, however, that in constructing this device it is possible to make many changes in the form and configuration of the parts that will in no way affect their operativeness, and I reserve the right to make such changes as I may deem convenient or necessary without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A clock mechanism of the character described comprising in combination a face plate, an auxiliary plate, said plates disposed vertically in spaced relation to one another, a clock dial attached to the front of said face plate, a plurality of'wheels of varied diameter, said wheels mounted on shafts journalled within said plates, one of said shafts provided withan indicator hand, an escape wheel, a cord, a weight, said weight actuating said escape wheel by means of said cord, a vertical shaft, an upper and lower bearing supported by said face plate, said bearings acting as journals for said vertical shaft, said vertical shaft provided with a horizontally disposed governor bar at its upper end, a pair of inwardly extending vanes attached to said vertical shaft in angular relation to one another for contact with said escape wheel, and belt members engaging the periphery of said wheels thereby creating synchronized action of said wheels and indicator hand in relation with said dial due to the gravity actuated travel of said weight.

2. A clock mechanism of the character described comprising in combination a pair of plates, said plates spaced apart in parallel relation to one another, one of said plates provided with a clock dial, a cord, a reel for mounting said cord, a weight rotatably attached to said cord to gradually draw said cord from said reel, a plurality of wheels, a plurality of shafts, said shafts journalled in said plates, said wheels mounted to said shafts, means in the form of contact belts actuating said wheels and connect- 1 ing said wheels one with the other, one of said shafts having an indicator hand, said shaft disposed at a point central to said clock dial and an escape movement provided consisting of a vertical wheel having outwardly extending members, a vertical shaft supported in direct align ment with said shaft supporting said vertical wheel, a horizontal governor bar attached to the upper end of said vertical shaft, a pair of vanes attached to said vertaical shaft in angular relation to one another to permit contact of one of the projecting members on said escape wheel with said vane at a time, when urged into rotation by the weight disposed on said cord thereby producing a synchronized action of said wheels and indicator hand in relation with said dial due to the gravity actuated travel of said weight.

3. A clock mechanism of the character described in claim 2, in which the horizontal governor bar is provided with adjustably mounted weights to control the speed of the reciprocating motion of the governor bar.

4. A clock mechanism of the character described comprising in combination, a face plate, an auxiliary plate, said plates arranged in vertical relation to one another and spaced apart from one another, a clock dial attached to the front of said face plate, a plurality of wheels of varied diameter, a plurality of shafts journalled within said plates, said wheels attached to said shafts, one of said shafts provided with indicator means, said shaft disposed centrally with said dial, another of said shafts supporting an escape wheel provided with outwardly extending members, a vertical shaft supported by said face plate in direct alignment with the shaft supporting said escape wheel, said vertical shaft provided with inwardly projecting vanes attached to said shaft in angular relation with one another and in direct alignment with the outwardly extending members on said escape wheel, a horizontally disposed governor bar attached to the upper end of said vertical shaft, a reel mounted to the end of one of said shafts, a cord disposed on said reel attached at one end to said reel, said cord arranged to contact the peripheral surface of one of said wheels acting as a drive wheel for said escape wheel, a weight, said weight rotatably supported to said cord for actuating said reel and escape movement by a force of gravity, a piurality of belts contacting the peripheral surface of said wheels, causing all of said wheels to move due to frictional contact of said belts, said wheels arranged in size to provide proper synchronized action by the escape movement and indicator on said dial, all of said wheels and plates provided with apertures of suitable dimension to accommodate said shafts for ease in assembly without the use of tools.

5. A device as described in claim 4, in which the horizontal governor bar is provided with adjustable means extending outward from the point of its attachment to said vertical shaft to permit adjustment and control of the reciprocating motion of said governor bar caused by the vanes contacting the projecting members on said escape wheel.

HAROLD G. STEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

